ABSA’s Team Leader of External Sales, Mr. Khudisi Makhaga joined by Councillor Sarah Mabotsa, MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, with some of the participants of PEP and EPWP
who had successfully completing the
ABSA Financial Education Training Programme
By Cllr Sarah Mabotsa
MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning
ABSA’s Team Leader of External Sales, Mr. Khudisi Makhaga, was joined by Councillor Sarah Mabotsa, Tshwane’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) responsible for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, in congratulating participants of the City of Tshwane’s Public Employment Programme (PEP) and
Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) who had successfully completing the
ABSA Financial Education Training Programme.
The Financial Training Programme arose through a partnership between ABSA Bank
and the City’s Department of Economic Development and Spatial Planning.
ABSA sponsored and taught fourteen classes on Financial Education to 420 PEP and EPWP participants.
The successful participants from Region 3 who completed their financial
education training received their certificates on Friday morning the 11 July 2025 at the Sammy Marks building.
Mr. Makhaga, explained that “the purpose of the training was to empower participants with the knowledge and skills to educate and protect themselves financially, to maximize and secure their financial futures through training on the most important principles of financial management.
ABSA is proud to be able to empower residents with financial skills through this programme” he said.
The financial management classes included aspects of:
•Budgeting, Budgeting Concepts and Budgeting Tools,
•Wealth Creation and Growth,
•Credit Management, the National Credit Act and how to maintain a good Credit Score,
•Risk and Debt Management and managing debit orders,
•Protection Plans, such as insurance and a drafting a will,
•Avoiding Fraudulent Financial Scams such as Phishing scams, and
•Banking Services and how to maximize benefits.
Delivering the keynote address at the event, Councillor Sarah Mabotsa, MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, congratulated the participants and thanked them for their work in
fixing and cleaning South Africa’s Capital City.
“The City of Tshwane’s Multiparty Coalition Government is committed to enhancing and further advancing the involvement, skills development and employment opportunities for our residents and especially our youth, women and persons living with disabilities” said Councillor Mabotsa.
She emphasised that the work of the PEP and EPWP programmes, through repairing potholes, helping to manage informal settlements, cleaning, greening and
waste management across the metro, training artisans, cleaning the inner city and maintaining formal and informal trading facilities, and work has helped to make the City work better, be cleaner and be a safer place for communities across the metro.
“The work that our PEP and EPWP participants do is very important for all residents.
For example, many people are not aware just how very important it is to keep our public spaces clean and tidy.
There is a lot of international research showing that making public spaces cleaner and safer reduces crime rates” she explained.
“I thank you, because your work in Tshwane is making our city safer too” Mabotsa told the PEP and EPWP participants.
Since the City’s Multiparty Coalition Government was elected in October last year, efforts and budgets have been focussed on cleaning up the inner city, pavements and public spaces, fixing thousands of streetlights and repairing thousands of potholes.
Tshwane, already South Africa’s safest city according to data published by the
independent SA Cities Network, has achieved reductions in almost all crime
categories in 2025, according to the SAPS quarterly crime statistics report for January to March 2025.
“Cleaner, safer neighbourhoods and cities also help to attract more
investment, attract more businesses and this enables the creation of more jobs”
explained Mabotsa.
The office of Councillor Palesa Modise, the MMC for Community and Social Development Services, conveyed a message of congratulations to all the participants who had successfully
completed their training, noting that their dedication and commitment are a testament to the value of the Expanded Public Works Programme in transforming lives and communities.
The City of Tshwane’s Multiparty Coalition Government encourages all job seekers in Tshwane who meet the criteria to register on the City’s EPWP database at their nearest regional office or designated application points.
This database of job seekers and the lottery selection process for allocating PEP and EPWP opportunities ensures a fair and transparent process, in line with the City’s commitment to inclusive job opportunities.